Torrent

When Torrent does hit its stride, the clues are fairly consistent. It performs best over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — longer trips that suit a horse who takes time to wind up — and in that range has won 1 from 5 races, a 20% win rate that stands well above its overall average. It also tends to run in Class 4 races, the solid, competitive mid-tier of British racing, and at that level has won 2 from 7 (29%), which is genuinely strong. This is a horse that belongs at that grade — not out of its depth, not slumming it.

The partnership with jockey David Noonan is worth noting too. Together they've won 2 from 10 races — that's a 20% win rate, exactly double what Torrent manages overall. That kind of improvement when one rider is in the saddle isn't coincidence. They clearly suit each other, and when Noonan's name appears on the racecard, it's worth paying attention.

Both wins came in the summer of 2024 — first at Uttoxeter in July, then at Newton Abbot in September — and Torrent hasn't won in the six races since, the most recent of which was 61 days ago. A short break often signals that a yard is giving a horse time to reset rather than running it into the ground, and Nigel Hawke's team have been in good form this season with 9 winners already sent out. Recent form of a blank run, then seventh, third, eighth, second, and fourth tells a mixed story — but that second place shows the ability is still there. A return to a longer trip, with Noonan up, on something close to normal ground, and the summer could bring a third win.